Method for downloading software

ABSTRACT

According to the present invention there is provided a method for downloading software from a mobile network operator to a mobile phone user. The downloaded software can be new network services or user specified applications software or user specified information. The method requires the downloaded software to written as Java classes capable of running on a Java Virtual Machine. All the Java classes can be continuously broadcast at a relatively modest data rate. In an enhanced mode a list of services available for downloading is broadcast over the network more frequently then the actual services themselves. The user then selects which service he wants and only that one is downloaded. Payment can be on a subscription or pay-per-use basis.  
     The method could also be adapted to work with one of the new digital broadcasting platforms such as DAB or DVB as a means for delivering the Java classes. This would significantly increase the volume of data which could be downloaded thus increasing the number of new services or information which could be accessed.

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wirelesstelecommunications.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a method fordownloading software to a mobile telecommunications device.

[0003] In European Patent application EP 0 804 046 A2 a method foroperating a wireless user terminal having a transceiver for conductingbidirectional RF communications with a communications network isdesriped. This method comprises the steps of operating the terminal witha first computer program that is stored in a first memory, where in thisstep includes a step of receiving a second computer program from thecommunications network and storing the received second computer programinto a second memory. After the second computer program is stored in thesecond memory the terminal is operated with the second computer program.The second computer program is recieved in a plurality of code blocks.The secon program is transmitted in response to a call made by aterminal to the communications network or vice versa.

[0004] The use of mobile telecommunications and its importance israpidly increasing in both the private and business sectors. In aneffort to attract new customers and to keep existing customers, networkoperators try to offer a variety of service options. Ideally, networkoperators would like to be able to introduce new services quickly and tohave these services unique to their own networks.

[0005] Currently, network operators offer services such as voicemail,address books and up to date information such as stock marketquotations. A user selects which services he wants when he chooses hisnetwork operator and phone. Other services may be added by contactinghis network operator. Services such as stock market quotations areprovided by a point to point connection with his network operator.Payment for these services is via the established Global System Mobile(GSM) infrastructure and is reflected on a monthly bill.

[0006] The present invention offers a solution to the problem ofintroducing new services to customers quickly and efficiently.

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a methodfor downloading software to a mobile telecommunications device saidmethod including the steps of: broadcasting said software, receiving anddownloading said software to said mobile telecommunications device,contacting a network operator responsible for said broadcasting, andcausing said network operator to enable said software such that saidsoftware is available for use by a user of said mobiletelecommunications device.

[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention said step ofbroadcasting said software is in digital form.

[0009] According to a further aspect of the present invention said stepof contacting a network operator responsible for said broadcast is viaan existing point to point connection.

[0010] According to a further aspect of the present invention said stepof causing said network operator to enable said software includes afurther step of billing said user for said software via said existingpoint to point connection.

[0011] According to yet a further aspect of the present invention saidstep of contacting a network operator responsible for said broadcast isvia an existing GSM connection.

[0012] According to a further aspect of the present invention saidsoftware is developed using a platform independent object code.

[0013] According to yet a further aspect of the present invention saidplatform independent object code is Java™.

[0014] Advantageously, the present invention provides a method wherebymobile network operators can make new services and updated versions ofexisting services available to existing customers quickly and easilywithout the need to seek and obtain regulatory permission.

[0015] While the principle advantages and features of the presentinvention has been described above a greater understanding andappreciation of the invention may be obtained by referring to thedrawing and detailed description in the preferred embodiment, presentedby way of example only, in which;

[0016]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the main aspects of the presentinvention.

[0017] In FIG. 1, in which a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is depicted in block diagram form, a software provider 10 isshown which has a commercial agreement with a network operator 12. Thesoftware provider designs and writes application software suitable foruse with mobile telecommunications devices such as mobile phones orPersonal Digital Assistants (PDAs). The software might be a new servicesuch as voicemail systems or an applications type software package suchas a word processor or a spreadsheet. The software might also beinformation such as a street map or the location of hospitals or policestations.

[0018] In this preferred embodiment of the present invention thesoftware is. developed using a platform independent object code thusenabling the same software to be used by a wide variety of mobiletelecommunications devices. In this preferred embodiment the software isdeveloped using the existing commercially available Java™ language. Thesoftware is written as Java™ classes capable of running on a Java™virtual machine.

[0019] The software provider 10 enters a commercial agreement with anetwork operator 12 to sell or license its software to the networkoperator either on a fixed price, pay-per-use or other suitable paymentscheme.

[0020] In order to distribute the software to its existing customers,the network operator 12 enters into a commercial agreement with abroadcaster 14. In this preferred embodiment the broadcaster is adigital broadcaster. A digital broadcaster 14 broadcasts the softwareusing a digital broadcasting platform such as Digital Audio Broadcasting(DAB) or Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) as a means for delivering theJava™ classes to existing network subscribers 16 of the network operator12. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art the existingnetwork subscribers may be using a variety of mobile communicationdevices such as mobile phone or PDAs.

[0021] After downloading the Java™ class of interest, the subscriber 16then contacts the network operator 12 via a base station 18 to establisha point to point contact with the network operator. In this preferredembodiment the point to point contact is via an existing GSM link. Thenetwork operator 12 then transmits an authentication code to thesubscriber 16 via a GSM base station 18 which enables the Java™ classsoftware to run. Upon transmission of the authentication code thenetwork operator also arranges. for the subscriber to be charged for theservice on his monthly bill.

[0022] As will be appreciated the method of charging may be on asubscription basis or a pay-per-use basis. The billing information canbe contained in the downloaded Java™ class broadcast by the digitalbroadcaster or can be sent with the authentication code via the point topoint contact established between the mobile telecommunications deviceand the network operator via the existing GSM link.

[0023] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art the point topoint contact for authorisation and billing purposes can be establishedvia an existing mobile telecommunication protocol such as GSM.Alternatively, the point to point contact can be established via a thirdgeneration wireless telecommunications protocol such as Universal MobileTerminal System (UMTS).

[0024] In the previously described embodiment of the present inventionall Java™ classes are continuously broadcast over the air by the digitalbroadcaster. If, for example, a relatively modest data broadcast rate of9,600 bits per second is used, then 100 services each containing 10,000bytes of data can be fully broadcast approximately every 14 minutes. Aswill be appreciated, other broadcast rates could be used withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. New services can thenbe downloaded to the subscriber's mobile telecommunications deviceallowing the subscriber to have access to new services on demand.

[0025] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the digitalbroadcaster continuously broadcasts a list of services available morefrequently than the actual services themselves. The subscriber can thenview the list via his mobile telecommunications device and decide whichservices he wants to download. The list may appear in a menu typeformat. Information can be encoded in a list of services such that whena particular service is selected the mobile telecommunications deviceautomatically downloads that service the next time it is broadcast. Thisembodiment enables the list to be received by the subscriber morerapidly than the actual services. Once the service of interest isselected the subscriber is free to do other things while the service isautomatically downloaded the next time it appears in the broadcastcycle.

[0026] In a further embodiment certain high demand services would bebroadcast more often in a broadcast cycle than other services of lesserdemand. Alternatively, certain priority services would be automaticallydownloaded immediately upon broadcast, provided sufficient memory isavailable on the mobile telecommunications devise.

[0027] An example of a typical operation of a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention will now be given. The subscriber selects theoption on his mobile phone to view the list of services currentlyavailable from his network operator. This list, which is continuouslybroadcast appears on his phone's display screen. The subscriber selectsthe service that he is interested in using. In response to thesubscriber's selection, the phone then listens for the relevant Java™class to be broadcast. When the phone detects the selected Java™ classthe software is downloaded and installed. The menu entries now indicatethat the service is loaded and available for use. The subscriber can nowchoose to enable the service. Upon selecting the enabling option anauthentication conversation is initiated between the phone and thenetwork operator. The network operator then sends an authorisation codeto the subscriber and arranges for the subscriber to be billed for theservice. The authorisation may be on a subscription of pay-per-usebasis. The subscriber is now able to use the selected service.

[0028] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, variousmodifications may be made to the embodiment hereinbefore describedwithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0029] As will be appreciated other mobile telecommunications devicesthen a phone can be used, such as PDA's or Global Positioning Systems(GPS), and arc hereby incorporated within the scope of the presentinvention.

1. Method for downloading application, service or information software to a mobile telecommunications device said method including the steps of: broadcasting application, service or information software via a broadcaster (14) different from a network operator (12) responsible for said broadcasting, receiving and downloading said software to said mobile telecommunications device, contacting said network operator (12) responsible for said broadcasting, and causing said network operator (12) to enable said software such that said software is available for use by a user of said mobile telecommunications device.
 2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of broadcasting said software is in digital form.
 3. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said step of broadcasting includes continuously broadcasting said software.
 4. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said step of broadcasting includes continuously broadcasting a list of software available more frequently than the actual software themselves.
 5. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said step of broadcasting includes continuously broadcasting certain high demand software more often in a broadcast cycle than other software of lesser demand.
 6. Method as claimed in any preceding claim 1 or 2, wherein said step of contacting a network operator (12) responsible for said broadcast is via an existing point to point connection (18).
 7. Method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said step of causing said network operator (12) to enable said software includes a further step of billing said user for said software via said existing point to point connection (18).
 8. Method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said step of contacting a network operator (12) responsible for said broadcast is via an existing GSM connection.
 9. Method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said software is developed using a platform independent object code.
 10. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said platform independent object code is Java™. 